Card finding and separating device



Jan. 28, 1930. F. J. TILLMAN 1,745,066

i CARD FINDING AND SEP'ARA'IING DEVICE Filed June 5, 1919 z'sneets-sheet1 bon-699 Jr l J2z if 222517@ if.

' Jan. 28, 1930. F. JJTILLMAN I CARD FINDING AND SEPARATING DEVICE FiledJune. 1919 2 Sheets-sheet 2 kw www I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I "inl I|I Ll I l; I I |I I u l :I l I I II Il 1| I I| I II I I I I I I I I I l Il I I I I I l I I I I I I I ,1 I .l l

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Patented Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FERDINAND J. TILIMAN,OF ST. LOUIS,

MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO REMINGTON RAND INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ACORPORATION OF DELAWARE CARD FINDING AND SEPARATING DEVICE Applicationlcd June 3,

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved simplemechanism for operating on a plurality of vertically held index cardsrelative to iinding and moving a particular card from the plurality ofcards.

Another object is in providing an improved construction of card-engagingor litting members in which a pair of them is adapted to be movedlongitudinally and transversely beneath a plurality of cards so thatsaid pair of card-engaging members can be adapted to work on a pluralityot cards relative to selecting and moving any card of the plurality ofcards.

A further object is in providing an improved card finding and movingdevice in which the operating parts thereof are controllable in bothdirections of movement, either forwardly or rearwardly relative tomoving the operating parts in the desired section for locating andmoving a particular card, and in which none of the parts have to be setup or returned for the next operation in acquiring another one or morecards, as the parts are always active towards approaching a desiredsection oi cards, whether moved forwardly or rearwardly.

A still further object is in providing improved means whereby the nextadjacent card in order relative to the desired card se lected is alsomoved upwardly, thereby providing a guide or pilot card for thereturning of the desired card after it has been removed trom the paclror plurality of cards.

Another still further object is in providing improved means forretaining the cards in their upwardly moved positions.

Other and further objects will appear in the specification and bespeciiically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings exempliying the invention, and in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly diagrammatic, the plurality of cards onwhich the device is capable of operating being omitted so as to disclosethe mechanism.

Figure 2 is a front elevation, partly in section of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sec ion taken apprrmiinately on the lineIIIe-H1 of Fig. l,

1919. Serial N0. 301,560.

said figure disclosing the first section of cards in place in thereceptacle.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section aken approximately on theline IV-IV of Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on theline V-V of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of the cardholding receptacle, having the intermediate part broken away.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view disclosing the lower portions of a groupof ten cards which are of special design, the mass of cards to be usedin this improved device consisting of several like groups.

Referring to the drawings, this improved device comprises an open topreceptacle 1 which is mounted on a base 2, said receptacle being dividedinto a plurality of cardholding compartments 3 which are formed by thepartitions 4, each compartment containing a group of ten vertically heldcards, the lower edges of which rest upon longitudinally arranged sills5, each card being provided with a pair of downwardly projectingportions 5, the pairs of projections of said cards being equally spacedapart.

`Arranged longitudinally beneath the cards is a pair of parallellyarranged bars G, the ends of said bars being secured in end frames 7each end frame being slida-bly mounted on a transversely arrangedsupport 8.

Slidably mounted on each bar 6 is a sleeve 9, said sleeves being tiedtogether by a cross member 10. Swingingly mounted on one of the sleeves9 is a series of card-lifting members 11, each having a. card-engagingportion 12. and swingingly mounted on the other sleeve 9 is a series ofcardanoving members 13, each having card-engaging portions 14, said cardmoving members 11 and 13 being arranged in pairs and approximately sidelapping each other in pairs, each pair of card-moving members beingswingingly se cured to each other by a pin and slot connection 15.

These pairs of card moving members are spaced and held at equaldistances apart bv the sleeves 9 on. which they are mounted, and

the card-engaging portions 12 and 14 thereof are of such a width wherebythey underextend the approximate width of a card compartment 3, theengaging portion 12 of the moving member 11 being wider than theengaging portion 14 of the member 13, so that the engaging portion 12will extend into the next adjacent compartment towards a higher order ofcards, all of which will be hereinafter brought out.

Longitudinally arranged beneath the cardmoving members 11 and 13 is asupporting bar 16, and swingingly mounted on said bar are a series ofequally spaced apart lifting members 17, each lifting member having ahorizontally and longitudinally extending portion 18 formed at one end,each extending portion 18 being related to a respective pair ofcard-moving members 11 and 13, and being of a length whereby theyunderlap the travelling distance of their respective pair of card-movingmembers with which they are cooperable.

Parallelling the bar 16 is a supporting bar 19 which slidingly supportsa sleeve 20, and rigidly secured to said sleeve is al series ofspaced-apart approximately horizontally extending arms 21, each havingan upturned portion 22, each arm being related to a respective liftingmember 17.

Mounted on the sleeve 20 is a movable collar 23, having a dependingportion 24 which is secured to an endless cable 25, said cable passingaround a series of pulleys 26.

Located adjacent the front wall 27 of the receptacle 1 is a dial plate28, having a series of lever slots 29, 3() and 31, each slot on one edgebeing provided with ten notches, each set of notches indicating a numberranging from cipher to nine, as shown in F ig. 1.

Extending through the slot 29 of the dial 28 is an operating lever 32,said lever being rigidly secured to one end of a horizontally arrangedshaft 33, and formed on the opposite end of said lever is the segmentalgear 34.

The shaft 33 extends beneath the plurality of index cards located in thereceptacle 1, and rigidly secured to said shaft is a pair of gearsegments 35, one of which is located in each of the end walls 27 and 36of the receptacle 1, each segment 35 meshing with an inverted rack 37,each rack being supported by one of the end frames 7.

Extending through the slot 30 of the dial plate 28 is an operating lever38 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 33, the opposite end of saidlever having a segmental gear 39, and formed in said lever adjacent thesegmental gear 39 is a slot 40, through which extends a portion of asliding block 41, said block being mounted in the guideway 42.

Secured to said block 41 is an endless cable 43 which passes around aseries of pulleys 44, said cable also beinfY secured to a longitudinallysliding block 45 which is mounted between guideways 46, and extendingupwardly from said block 45 is a shifting arm 47 which engages the tierod 10 of the sleeves 9 on which the card-moving members 11 and 13 aremounted.

Extending through the slot 31 of the dial plate 28 is a lever 48 whichis swingingly mounted on the shaft 33, the opposite end of said leverbearing a segmental gear 49 and a slot simirar to that describedrelative to the lever 38, and engaging in the slot of the lever 48 is asliding block 50 which is mounted in a guideway 51, said block 50 beingsecured to the endless cable 25 which is related to the collar -3 of thesleeve 20.

Rigidly secured to one end of the bar 19 adjacent the front end wall 27of the receptacle 1 is a striking lever 52, the opposite end of saidlever carrying a pin 53, said pin 53 being co-operable with the camsurface 54 of a locking pawl 55, the engaging edge of said pawl beingwide enough to engage across the faces of all of the segmental gears 34,39 and 49 of the respective operating levers 32, 38 and 48.

In leading up to the operation of this improved device, the mechanismstowards effecting a result relative to finding and moving or separatinga desired card from a plurality of cards may well be grouped in thefollowing order, hundreds, tens and units; as this device is capable ofselecting any card from a plurality of one thousand cards, the mechanismfor setting the operating parts pertaining to a hundred is comprised ofthe operating lever 48, endless cable 25 to which it is related,slidable sleeve 20, and the arms 21 of which there are ten.

The tens mechanism comprises lever 38, related cable 43, sliding block45, shifting arm 47, and the card-moving member carriage 56, saidcard-moving member carriage consisting of all of the pairs ofcard-moving members 11 and 13 and the sliding sleeves 9 on which theyare mounted.

The movement of said carriage as relating to the tens mechanism islongitudinal. The units mechanism comprises lever 32, shaft 33, and pairof segments 35 mounted thereon, and the end frames 7 of the carriage 56,supporting the racks 37 with which the segments 35 are in mesh, theoperation of the units mechanism only including the transverse travel ofthe carriage 5G.

The receptacle 1 of this improved device is adapted to contain onethousand index cards, which will be numbered in order, running fromcipher to nine hundred ninety-nine, the set of one thousand cards beingarranged in groups of one hundred, ranging from cipher to ninety-nine,one hundred to one hundred and ninety-nine, two hundred to two hundredand ninety-nine, and so on, and occupying the spaces in order asindicated by A, Fig. 1.

` These `groups of one hundred cards are then subdivided into groups often cards each, each group of ten cards occupying a compart ment 3, eachgroup of ten cards being fur-- ther designated by B, as shown in Fig. 1,the cards in each ten card group being consecutively numbered as fromcipher to nine, ten to nineteen, twenty to ltwenty-nine, up to the cardending in ninety-nine of each one hundred card group.

As already related, each card is provided with a pair of equally spacedapart depending projections 5, although the pairs of projections of eachcard are staggered in relation to the pairs of projections of the cardsnext adjacent so that the pairs of projections of a sub-group oftencards will be longitudinally staggered, see Figs. 4 and 7.

From an inspection of Fig. 7, it will be noted that all of the cardsexcept the cipher cardof eachV ten card group has a depending shoulder57 formed adjacent each right-hand depending projection 5, the exactposition of each shoulder 57 being in longitudinal alinement with theright-hand projection 5 of the card next ahead, for instance the unittwo card has its shoulderv 57 in longitudinal alinement with theprojection 5 of the unit card one, whereas. the shoulder 57 of the unitcard one is in alinement with the right-hand projection 5 of the cipherunit card. The purpose of the shoulders of the cards is for lifting theupper right-hand corner of the next highest card in order adjacent thedesired card, or in other words, elevate two cards at onetime, in whichthe desired card will be in front of the highest numbered card lifted,so that when the desired card is removed from the plurality of cards,the `remainirg projecting card will serve as a guiding back or pilotcard for the returning ofthe desired card.

From the aforesaid description relative to the `shoulders 57 of eachcard it appears that when a card ending with a cipher is operated on,the card bearing number one will also be moved upwardly, said cardnumbering one serving as a pilot card to the cipher card, Whereas whennumber o ne is the desired card operated on, number two card will bebrought up as the pilot card, and so on all the way through to the ninecard, in which instance the next cipher card in order asv the highnumber will be brought up as the pilot card to the nine card, althougheach cipher card has a depending projection 58 in lieu of a shoulder 57,said projection 58 being in longitudinal alinement with the right handprojection of a card 9, the cipher pilot card to the desired card 9being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the operating levers 32, 38and 48 are set in a position for actuation relative to the lowestnumbered card which is a cipher card, in which position thespringpressed detents 59 thereof are each engaging respective ciphernotches. In this position of the levers, it will be noted from aninspection of Fig. 1, that the first arm 21 in order as relating to thehundreds mechanism, which is further designated as C, is directlybeneath the lifting member 17 which relates to the first set of onehundred cards, and in which the longitudi nally extending portion 18 ofsaid member 17 is in under-engaging position relative to the first pairof card moving members 11 and 13, the card engaging portions 12 and 14of said lifting members being directly be.- neath the projections 5 ofthe cipher card.

In order to effect upward movement of said cipher card, the strikinglever 52 is engaged and pressed downwardly by the operator, and inasmuchas said lever is rigidly secured to the shaft 19, and said sleeve beingslidably secured to the shaft by the key 60 all of the arms 21 carriedby the sleeve 2O of said shaft, will be moved upwardly,and since the armC of the plurality of arms 21 is the only one placed in a position forupward engagement with the lifting arm 17, said'lifting arm 17 of thefirst hundred group will be elevated, and the portion 18 thereof willengage and elevate the card-moving member 11, and incidentally themating card/moving member 13 through the agent of the pin 15 whichcouples them together, thereby causing the portions 12 and 14 of saidp`air of cardmov ing members 11 and 13 to engage and elevate the pair ofprojections 5 of the cipher card, and owing to the fact that theengaging p9 rtion 12 of the card-moving member 11 extends across all ofthe card units of a subgroup of ten cards, said engaging portion 12engages the shoulder 57 of the next higher card number one in order,thereby elevating the right upper hand edge of said card number onesimultaneous with the elevating of the cipher card. As the strikinglever 52 was moved downwardly for effecting upward movement to thedesired card and its adjacent pilot card, the pin 53 carried by thelower end of said lever engaged the cam surface 54e of the pawl 55,thereby elevating said pawl, and engaging it between the teeth of thesegments 311, 39 and 19 of all of the operating levers 32, 38 and 19respectively, and effecting a lock to said operating levers, andincidentally the mechanisms pertaining thereto so that none of theoperating parts of the lever mechanisms can be operated until thecard-moving operation has been completed.

After the striking lever 52 has been released, said lever and the arms21 pertaining thereto will return to their normal positions by gravity,as well as the lifting member 17 and the pair of card-moving members 11and 13.

From the aforesaid it is to be noted that in order to acquire the ciphercard, each operating lever 32, 38 and 48 must register with a cipher onthe dial plate 28. Assuming it is desired to acquire card number eighthundred and seventy three; the lever 48 will be moved .1 to aregistering position relative to the numeral 8 of the dial plate, whichmovement of said lever will cause a pull to be exerted on the endlesscable 25, thereby sliding the sleeve bearing the series of arms 21 ofthe hunn dreds mechanism until the arm 21, designated as D, andpertaining to the eight hundred section or group of cards is moved to aposition beneath the lifting member 17, further designated as E.

The lever 38 is then moved to a position registering with the numeral 7of the dial plate, which movement exerted a pull on the endless cable43, thereby moving the sliding block and vertical portion 47 forwardly,

80 and since said portion 47 is in engagement with the tie rod 10 of thecarriage 56, thereby moving all of the pairs of card-lifting membersrearwardly until the pair of card-lifting members, designated as F, isbrought to a position beneath the seventh ten card group of the eighthundred card section, the lever 32 is then manipulated and moved to aposition of registration with the numeral three of the dial plate, themovement of said lever rocking the shaft 33, and causing the gearsegments 35 to impart motion to the racks 37 of the end frames 7 of thecarriage 56, thereby moving said carriage transversely to a positionwherein the card-engaging portions 12 and 14 of the pair of card-movingmembers F will be arranged in a position directly bcneath the pair ofprojections 5 of card ending with the numeral 3 of the seventh group ofcards of said eight hundred card group or section, the lifting of thedesired card aforementioned as number eight hundred and seventy three isthen effected by downward pressure on the striking lever 52, as alreadyrelated, in which the arm D will be elevated, thereby applying upwardmovement to the lifting member E so that upward movement will be appliedto the pair of card-moving members F, in which case card number eighthundred and sevent-y three will be elevated in an upright position,Whereas card number eight hundred and seventy-four will be angularlyelevated in order to serve as a pilot card thereto.

Assuming that it is desired to acquire a card lesser in number thaneight hundred and seventy-three, such as card number four hundred andfifty, it will be noted that rearward movement of the lever 48 will berequired in order to return the arm 21 further designated as G, to itsalining position beneath the lifting member H, owing to the fact thatsaid arm G was moved beyond its respective lifting member H when thehundredth mechanism was previously moved to a position of actuationrelative to acquiring card number ei ht hundred and seventy-three.

n this connection it is to be noted that on -account of the operatinglevers 32, 38 and 48 being directly connected with the mechanisms whichthey are adapted to operate, the hundreds, tens and units mechanisms, inno matter what direction they are moved, whether forwardly orrearwardly, longitudinally and transversely, (as their movement ineither direction, forwardly or rearwardly is not an idle movement, butan active movement towards moving the operating parts to a position ofactuation relative to any card,) always set the parts regardless of thedesignating positions they are left in after a desired card has beenacquired, and in which case none of the mechanisms have to be reset orreturned for effecting a second result or successive results.

From the aforesaid operation relative to the working of the levers 32,38 and 48, it is to be noted that three settings of said levers arenecessary in order to locate the three selecting mechanisms, namelyhundreds mechanism, tens mechanism and units mechanism.

As a further illustration relative to the three locating operations tobe carried out, if it is desired to obtain card number nine which islocated in the first group-B of ten cards, the levers 48 and 38 willeach register with its respective cipher mark 011 the dial plate,whereas the lever 32 will have to be shifted to nine on the dial.

In the case already illustrated relative to obtaining the cipher orfirst card in the first set of tens, each of the levers 32, 38 and 48have to register with their respective dial ciphers.

Assuming it is desired to obtain card number nineteen, which is locatedin the section ten card group B in order, the lever 48 will registerwith its dial cipher, whereas the lever 38 will register with its dialnumeral one and the lever 32 register with its dial numeral nine.

As a further illustration of an advantage of this improved device, andreturning again to the acquiring of cards numbered cipher, nine andnineteen, assuming the operator first set the operating levers 32, 38and 48 on respective dial ciphers for acquiring the cipher card, it isonly necessary for him to shift the lever 32 to nine to locate thecarriage 56 transversely in order to acquire the nine card, and after hehas acquired the nine card, it will only be necessary for him to shiftthe operating lever 38 for moving the carriage 56 longitudinally so thatthe relatable pair of card-moving members of the carriage will be placedin longitudinal location as called for by the dial numeral one relativeto said lever 38 for acquiring said nineteen.

Furthermore, in a device of this improved character relative to thefinding and moving of desired cards from a plurality of cards, an

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operator can manipulate the device with great rapidity on account of thefact that it is immaterial which of the levers 32, 38 and 48 are movedfirst for locating the desired units, tens or hundreds of the pluralityof cards.

As it is well known that the idea of three Vnumbers is memorized at aglance, therefore the operator can manipulate the operating levers in areverse order or the central number or lever can be moved first, assuits his judgment relative to the juxtaposition of his operatingfingers, or two or all of the oper ating levers can be moved at the sametime. In order to hold and retain the cards as they are moved orelevated by the operating mechanisms, a series of spring-actuatedrollers 61 are mounted in each side wall of the receptacle 1, therebeing a pair `of opposing rollers for each compartment 3, said rollersnormally resting in recesses 62, one of which is formed in each of theside edges of each index card, and when all of the cards are in normalpositions resting on the sills 5, the recesses 62 are in horizontalalinement, see Figs. 3 and 4.

The upholding action of the rollers 61 is brought about as each desiredcard is elevated, in which the upward movement of the card will forcethe rollers from engagement with the recesses 62 of the cards, and thecards are elevated to positions above the rollers so as to allow therollers 61 to move inwardly to their normal positions beneath the lowercorners of each elevated card, as shown in Fig. 4, and inasmuch as theelevated pilot card of each index card is only lifted from one side,only one lower edge of each elevated pilot card will be engaged by theroller.

Rigidly secured on the forward end of the supporting bar 16 is achecking lever 63, said lever being for the purpose of rocking the bar16 and elevating all of the lifting members 17 in unison. These liftingmembers 17, of which there are ten, are loosely mounted on the support16 relative to being moved upwardly by the respective arms 21 which formpart of the hundreds mechanism, but when the lever 63 is moveddownwardly in a left hand direction, each pin 64 which is secured to thesupport 16, and there being a pin mounted in a slot of each respectivelifting member 17, will bear on the hub portion of each lifting member17 and cause the extending portion 18 of each lifting member to be swungupwardly in unison, thereby effecting an upward movement of all of theten pairs of card-moving members 11 and 13, 1n which case a card of eachsubgroup of ten cards under which each pair of respective card-movingmembers is located, will be elevated. For instance, with respect to thelocation of the pairs of card-moving members shown in Fig. 1, the firstcard of each hundred group ending with a cipher will be elevated, thatis the cipher lor iirst card of the iirst 5 hundred set, the one hundredcard of the next hundred set, and so on. This operation of the checkinglever 63 relative to the upwardly moving in unison of all of the liftingmembers 17 and related pairs of card-moving members is for the purposeof checking the cards relative to locating missing cards. If it isdesired to go farther and check up the first order of cards ending withthe numeral 1 as relating to cards number one, one hundred and one, twohundred and one, and so forth, the unit lever 32 will be moved fromregister with the position of cipher to a position of register withnumeral one of the dial plate, and the checking lever 63 is againoperated.

From the aforementioned checking operation, it is to be noted that tencards at a time can be brought up in unison. For returning a number ofcards after they have been elevated relative to the checking operation,a pressing element 64 is provided which is shown in Figs. 2 and 4, andis comprised of a pair of longitudinally and parallelly arranged members65 carried by the frame 66, said frame being swingingly secured at 67 toone side of the receptacle 1 so that the pressing element can be swungto and from the upper edges of the plurality of cards, the members 65 ofsaid pressing element when engaged and pressed against the tops of theuplifted cards forcing them down together to seating positions on thesills 5LL and in their normal positions.

What I claim is:

1. In a card separating device, the combination of a longitudinallymovable member, a carriage adapted to longitudinal and transversetravel, a pair of card-moving members carried by said carriage havingtheir cardengaging portions spaced apart a given distance, and meanscooperable with said longitudinally movable member and said cardmovingmembers for actuating said cardmoving members.

2. In a card separating device, a receptacle containing a plurality ofcards, a member movable longitudinally beneath said cards, a pair ofcard-moving members adapted to be moved longitudinally and `transverselyabove said longitudinally movable member and held against movementtowards or from each other, and cooperating means located between saidlongitudinally movable member and said card-moving members for allowingsaid longitudinally movable member to become active on said card-movingmembers.

3. A card separating device comprising a receptacle containing aplurality of cards, each having a pair of depending projections, thepairs of projections of each card being spaced equally apart, and a pairof card-moving members arranged beneath the projections of said cards,adapted to longitudinal and transverse travel for operating on the pairsof projections of said cards.

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4. A card separating device comprising a receptacle containing aplurality of cards, each card having a pair of depending pro- `ections,the pairs of projections of each card ing spaced equally apart, a pairof cardmovlng members arranged beneath the projections of said cards,adapted to longitudinal and transverse travel for operating on the pairsof projections of said cards, operating means for said card-movingmembers and a longitudinally and vertically movable member arrangedbeneath said operating means for actuating said operating means.

5. In a card finding and separating device, a receptacle containing aplurality of cards, a longitudinally movable member located beneath saidcards, a member carried by said longitudinal member adapted to upwardmovement, a pair of card-moving members adapted to keep the samedistance apart while travelling longitudinally and transversely beneathsaid cards, and means cooperable with said card-moving members adaptedto be actuated b said member of said longitudinally travel ing member.

6. In a card finding and separating device, a receptacle containing aplurality of cards, a member movable longitudinally beneath said cardsbearing a series of upwardly movable elements, a pair of card-movingmembers located above each of said upwardly movable elements adapted tobe moved longitudinally and transversely of the receptacle and a seriesof vertically movable members, each being cooperable with a respectiveclement of said first-mentioned movable member and a respective pair ofcard-moving members.

7. A card finding and separating device comprising a receptacle adaptedto contain a plurality of index cards, a carriage adapted to be movedtransversely and longitudinally beneath said cards, and a pair oftransversely arranged card-moving members reciprocally mounted in saidcarriage for operatlng on said cards.

8. In a card finding and separating device, a receptacle containing aplurality of cards each having a pair of equally distant spaced apartdepending portions, a pair of transversely arranged card-moving membersheld apart a distance equal to the pairs of proj ections of each of saidcards, and means for moving said pairs of card-moving memberslongitudinally and transversely beneath said cards.

9. In a card finding and separating device, a receptacle containing aplurality of cards each having a pair of equally distant spaced apartdepending projections, the pairs ot' projections of said cards being instaggered relation to one another, a pair of transversely arrangedcard-moving members held apart a distance equal to that of therespective pairs of projections of said cards, and means for moving saidpair of card-moving members together transversely beneath said cards sothat said card-moving members can engage the pair of projections of anyone ot said cards.

10. In a card finding and separating device, a receptacle, a pluralityof upright cards mounted in said receptacle, a series of pairs ofcard-moving members held an equal distance apart transversely, all ofsaid members adapted to be moved in unison longitudinally andtransversely beneath said cards, a vertically reciprocating memberlocated beneath each pair of said card-moving members for engagementtherewith, a longitudinally movable member arranged beneath saidvertically movable members bearing parts for cooperation with each ofsaid vertically movable members, means for shifting said longitudinallymovable member so that the cooperating parts thereof can be moved topositions ot cooperation relative to any of said vertically movablemembers, and means for moving said cooperable parts upwardly so that oneof said vertically movable members will engage a pair of card-movingmembers.

ll. In a card finding and separating device, means ior holding aplurality of cards in upright positions, a carriage bearing a pair ofcard-moving members arranged to travel longitudinally beneath saidcards, controllable means for moving said carriage forwardly andrearwardly beneath said cards, and means for moving said carriagetransversely ot' said cards.

l2. In a card finding and separating device, means for holding aplurality of cards in upright positions, a carriage bearing a pair ofcard-moving members arranged to travel longitudinally beneath saidcards, controllable means for moving said carriage forwardly andrearwardly beneath said cards, means for moving said carriagetransversely of said cards, operating means for said card movingmembers, a member to travel longitudinally beneath said card-movingmembers related to said operating means, and controllable means formoving said last-mentioned member 'forwardly or rearwardly.

13. In a card finding and separating device, a plurality of cards, meansfor holding said cards in upright positions, a pair of card-movingmembers arranged beneath said cards adapted to longitudinal andtransverse travel, a movable member located beneath said card-movingmembers extending the length of the longitudinal travel of saidcardmoving members, and a second movable member for applying upwardmovement to said rst-mentioned movable member.

14. In a card finding and separating device, means or holding aplurality of cards in upright positions, a carriage bearing a pair ofcard-moving members arranged to travel longitudinally beneath saidcards, conl-io trollable `means for moving said carriage forwardly andrearwardly beneath said cards, and locking means for holding saidcontrollable means against movement.

15. In a card iinding and separating device, means for holding aplurality of cards in upright positions, a carriage bearing a pair ofcard-moving members arranged to travel longitudinally beneath saidcards, con* trollable means for moving said carriage for` wardly andrearwardly beneath said cards, means for moving said carriagetransversely of said cards, and locking means for holding said carriageagainst movement in either direction.

16. In a card finding and separating device, a plurality of cards, meansfor holding said cards in upright positions, a series of pairs ofcard-moving members arranged beneath said cards adapted to longitudinaland transverse travel, a lifting member located beneath each pair ofsaid card-moving members for actuating said card-moving members,extending the length of the longitudinal travel of the respective pairof cardmoving members with which it is adapted to cooperate, a movablemember for applying upward movement to each of said lifting members, andmeans for moving all of said movable members together.

17. In a card finding and separating device, a receptacle containing aplurality of cards, a card-moving member for lifting a desired card ofthe plurality of cards, and means for engaging the lifted card so as touphold said card after said card-moving member has been returned to itsformer position.

18. In a card finding and separating device, a receptacle containing aplurality of Cards each having a recess formed in one of the side edgesthereof, a card-holding member adapted to engage the recesses of saidcards, and means for lifting a desired card from among said plurality ofcards, said card-holding member adapted to be displaced from the recessof, and engaged beneath said lifted card.

19. In a card separating device, the combi nation of a longitudinallymovable member, a carriage adapted to longitudinal and transversetravel, means for moving said carriage, a pair of card-moving memberscarried by said carriage having their card engaging portions spacedapart a given distance, means cooperable with said longitudinallymovable member and said card-moving members for actuating saidcard-moving members, and locking means for preventing said carriagebeing moved during the operating of said card-moving members carriedthereby.

20. In a card finding and separating de vice, a receptacle containing aplurality of cards, a series of pairs of card-moving members arrangedbeneath said cards adapted to longitudinal and transverse travel, anindependently movable lifting member located beneath each pair ofcard-moving members, each having a portion extending the length of thelongitudinal travel of its respective pair of card-moving members, alongitudinally movable member having portions which are adapted toupward movement, each portion of said longitudinally movable memberbeing adapted to cooperate with a respective lifting member, and meansprovided whereby all of said lifting members may be moved together formoving all of said card-moving members together.

21. In a `card finding and separating device, a receptacle containing aplurality of upright cards, means for successively elevating any of saidcards to positions wherein the upper edges thereof are above said othercards, and means forI simultaneously returning' all of the elevatedcards to their neutral positions.

22. In a card finding and separating device, a receptacle containing agroup of upright cards, a pair of card-moving members adapted tolongitudinal and transverse travel beneath said cards to positions ofengagement `whereby said card-moving members can lift any one of saidcards, and a lifting member for engagement with said card-moving membersduring any of the card-lifting positions of said card-moving members.

Q3. A mechanism for raising an edge of a desired card from a group ofupright cards comprising a pair of related card-moving members adaptedto transverse travel relative to the card group, a lifting member forsaid card-moving members, and means' cooperable with said cardanovingmembers and said lifting member whereby said lifting member is active onsaid card-moving members in any transverse location of said card-movingmembers.

24. A mechanism for raising the edge of a desired card from a group ofupright cards,

`comprising a card-moving member having a transversely extending portionadapted to transverse travel relative to the card group, and a liftingmember for engagement with said transversely extending portion of saidcardanoving member.

25. A mechanism for raising the edge of a desired card from a group ofupright cards, comprising a card-moving member having a transverselyextending portion adapted to transverse and longitudinal travel relativeto the card group, and a lifting member for engagement with saidtransversely extending portion of said card-moving member having alongitudinally extending portion for underlapping the transverseextending portion of said card-moving member during its longitudinaltravel.

26. In a card finding and separating device, a receptacle containing aplurality of upright cards, means for elevating a number of said cardsto positions wherein the edges of said cards are above said cards, andmovable means above said cards for simultaneously returning the elevatedcards to their neutral positions.

27. In a card finding and separating device, a receptacle containing agroup of approximately vertically held cards, each of said cards havinga pair of equidistantly spaced apart depending projections, the pairs ofprojections of said cards being in staggered relation to one another.

28. A mechanism for raising an edge of a desired card from a group ofupright cards comprising a swingable card-moving member having atransversely extending portion and ada ted to transverse travel relativeto the car group, and a swingable lifting member for engagement Withsaid transversely eX- tending portion of said card-moving member.

29. A mechanism for raising an edge of a desired card from a group ofupright cards comprising a pair of relatably swingable card-engagingmembers adapted to transverse travel beneath the card group, and arockable lifting member for actuating said swingable card-engagingmembers.

30. A card finding and separating device comprising a receptaclecontaining a plurality of upright cards, a carriage adapted tolongitudinal and transverse travel beneath said cards bearing a seriesof swingable pairs of card-moving members, a rockable elementllongitudinally arranged beneath said cards bearing a series of liftingmembers, each being for operation on a respective pair of saidcard-moving members, and a second rockable element adapted tolongitudinal travel, bearing a series of projections, each of saidprojections adapted to successively engage a res ective lifting memberof said first-mentloned rockable element.

31. In a card finding and separating device, a plurality of cards, meansfor holding said cards in upright positions, a series of pairs ofcard-moving members arranged beneath said cards adapted to longitudinaland transverse travel, a lifting member located beneath each pair ofsaid card-moving members for actuating said card-moving members,extending the length of the longitudinal travel of the respective pairof cardmoving members with which it is adapted to cooperate, and amovable member for applying upward movement to each of said liftingmembers.

32. In a card finding and separating device, a receptacle containing aplurality of upright cards, means for successively elevating any of saidcards to positions wherein the upper edges thereof are above said otherpositions.

FERDINAND J. TILLMAN.

